Oct. 9 Republican debate transcript

Bartiromo: Senator Thompson, quick follow-up there. Thirty seconds, please. (Applause.) Chrysler is facing a possible walkout on Wednesday. Should the government step in and help Chrysler and the other automakers?

Thompson: No.

Bartiromo: Why?

Thompson: Well, I think the government has to have a good reason to step in. I think it has to be something that drastically affects our economy. It might a little bit later on -- you'd have to cross that bridge when you came to it -- as something that affects our economy or our national security.

But I don't think the government ought to step in and have people know that the government will step in if they walk out an create that kind of situation.

Bartiromo: Even if they say that they are at a disadvantage to foreign automakers.

Thompson: Well, of course, they are. But that has nothing to do with the government stepping in. The government ought to relieve that disdavantage that we've got as far as foreign automakers are concerned, make them open up their markets and make certain markets quit devaluing their currency. That's where the pressure needs to be applied.

Matthews: It took a long time. He said no; he should've stopped there. (Laughs.)

Anyway, Mr. Mayor, let me ask you about --

Thompson: Well, then that's your opinion, Christopher. (Laughter.)

Matthews: Okay, let's go to the police. How would you police the Internet culturally, Mr. Mayor?

Giuliani: Pardon me?

Matthews: How would you police the Internet culturally -- you know, the whole questions about the stuff that's going on -- predators, that sort of thing --

Giuliani: Sure. I think it's a very, very --

Matthews: -- pornography. How do we do it?

Giuliani: I think it's the new serious area of crime that's emerging. I think that -- first of all, let's separate the economics from the safety and security, like we have to do with free trade agreements; that we should not tax the Internet. There are people who are propsing taxing the Internet. That'd be a really, really big mistake.

We should police the Internet in that we should make sure that child predators aren't taking advantage of the Internet, which they seem to be doing.

There are a lot of good state and local law enforcement efforts in that regard.
I think a task force between the federal government and state and local governments, in order to police it, to share information, to make sure it isn't being misused, to make sure it's protected -- I think working with -- one of the businesses that I have familiarity with is a business that I had some involvement with back in -- we sold it -- but they attack from the outside Internet systems in order to determine whether they can be penetrated. They also can set up protections against child predators, against pornography. Those are the kinds of things that we have to do.

It should -- it's a new area and a growing area of law enforcement. And I think that there are -- some of the task forces that have been developed have done some really good work in policing it.

Matthews: Should we have an FCC-style agency for the Internet?

Giuliani: If it becomes worse, I mean, if this situation becomes worse and we're not getting control over it with the agencies that we presently have -- I'm not big on setting up new agencies. I'm sort of bigger on making the ones that we have work. That's how I reduced crime so effectively in New York. I didn't create a new agency. I made the ones that we have work, work better.

I think the FBI, I think state and local law enforcement, I think some of these Internet protection groups that you can track with -- I think they can do the job. If they can't, well, then you take a look at it.

Bartiromo: And Senator McCain, you're saying no, absolutely not. Very quickly.

McCain: Absolutely not, but I also want to point out this Internet child pornography is a terrible evil. It's got to be addressed. And everybody knows the way you stop it is go after the money.

Bartiromo: We'll take a short break, and then when we come back, our lightning rod (sic) segments. (Applause.)

(Announcements.)

Matthews: We're back with a lightning round. Gentlemen, it's 30 seconds to respond. Just one person per question.
Governor Huckabee, the first one. President Bush last week vetoed a plan to expand health coverage for millions of lower-income children and in part because he says the 35 billion (dollars) it will cost over five years is too expensive. Would you have vetoed the bill, the SCHIPs?

Huckabee: First of all, I really would love to have had one of those minute-and-a-half questions with a 30-second follow-up, but since you're only giving me 30 seconds, let me do the best I can.

Matthews: (Laughs.)

Huckabee: The president was caught in a tough political battle. The Democrats won the political battle. Unfortunately, the issue wasn't about children; the issue was about political posture. And the reality is you're going to create a huge problem for the Medicare Advantage Plan and shortfall that, and many of the kids who will be covered under the expanded SCHIP are people who already have insurance -- will be coming out of their insurance programs.

But the president was in a very incredibly tough position because 75 percent of the American people -- if I were president, I would never let that get to the point where that's the only option you have. You ought to make sure that you communicate to the American people --

Matthews: But if it got there, would you have vetoed, Governor?

Huckabee: I'm sorry?

Matthews: Would you have vetoed, it was handed to you, that bill?

Huckabee: You know, I'm not absolutely certain that that's going to be the right way because there are going to be so many issues we've got to fight, and the political loss of that is going to be enormous.

And I just believe this. One thing we've got to remember: There's a real problem in the health care issue where Democrats say they want the government to control it.

Republicans say, we want private insurance to control it. Some people want the businesses to control it.
Let me tell you what the real answer is: letting individuals control their own, and let them own it. (Applause.) That's the real need, because I don't trust government and I don't trust the insurance companies. I trust me with my health care.

Matthews: Thank you.

Maria.